Queensland's media and politicians are currently in a tizz about what is being referred to as an outbreak of Hendra Virus. For those outside Queensland who may not have been following this story, Hendra virus primarily occurs in populations of flying foxes, giant fruit-eating bats of the genus pteropus. However, from time to time it also spills over to infect horses and, via them, humans. Its name comes from the suburb of Brisbane where our main racetracks are located, and where it was first detected in 1994, taking the life of horse trainer Vic Rail and a number of horses. This is where it gets emotional. To some extent, the emotions are understandable. Australians love their horses, and Hendra virus has been fatal to every one of the 50-odd horses known to have contracted it since 1994. It's also very dangerous to humans, having led to the death of four out of the seven humans known to have contracted it. This winter there have been more horses infected than ever
'Contemplating the teeming life of the shore, we have an uneasy sense of the communication of some universal truth that lies just beyond our grasp.' - Rachel Carson